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Saturday, September 19, 2015

HAPPY TO BE ALIVE TODAY

We have a nice morning, the sun is shining, there is no wind and the rain seems to have gone leaving everything looking fresh in the morning light. Last night thunderstorms rattled around with accompanying heavy rain. It seems to have cleared the atmosphere. The storm has passed and all around us is washed clean.
That's how I feel inside. The delay in coming back was due to a family situation that just plain had me worried sick. There is good reason to be worried but ..... somehow by yesterday afternoon and during the night the sting has been taken out of the problem. Thank-you to friends and I'm praising God. The situation might go through to the worst scenario but I am no longer afraid of that.
I just continued as I have been doing for months. Nothing mindful, no logging or tracking.
In fact I just cannot see myself ever tracking my food again. I can log my meals and daily activity but that's going to be IT.
The more I think about what I should do the more convinced I am that exercise is key to being more healthy than I am.
Plus one of these days I will just drop having that sweet cappuccino to start my day. There's another thing I would maybe like to get back into the habit of and that's my breakfast smoothie of yoghurt, milk protein and berries. I just need to work out how the coconut oitl will fit into my plan. I continue to have about a dessertspoon of coconut oil each day and I'm pretty sure it's good for me. The smoothie is dependent on finding the protein powder I prefer. I've tried a few other brands but they just don't work for me and the one I like is not always easy to source.
I've had my sweet coffee for the day and am about to make a plain black one. I'll heat a coconut flour muffin to go with it and see how the day goes. Probably something with egg for lunch and definitely chicken something for tea, maybe stir-fry thighs with thyme and lemon.
Hopefully I will come back tomorrow and boast that I got on the cross-trainer.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Weight loss and health are never far from my mind. A few of my on-line friends are heading back to the beginning using the knowledge they have gained about themselves, and health in general, over the past years. I am no different. It's now two years since my lowest most recent weight and best fitness level. A lot has happened in our personal lives and I spent most of 2014 in a funk.

My response was to zone out by sewing, hand stitching, no stress patchwork and quilting. That meant I became a highly successful couch potato.

My weight has crept up by 8 kg or 18 pounds. Considering how stressed out I was and still am, and how poorly I sleep on too many nights this is quite remarkable. It suggests that mostly I am eating right. But there has to come a time when I am ready to focus on my health, weight loss and fitness levels again. It's been quite a long time since I actively did anything.

Basically I am low carb but I have sugar in my first cup of coffee every morning. I need to pull out my Mojo and just do it. That is, stop adding sugar and start keeping track. It might seem somewhat pathetic but on reflection I see that I am more likely to stick with a good plan if I blog and track in my posts. Somewhere in my little brain there is accountability when I keep a record in here.

There have been two hindrances: 1. the scales needed a new battery. John fixed that yesterday.
2. My laptop is dying. We have two other laptops. One is considered John's and that is what I am using today while John uses the old Windows XP model. I think I can work with this until I can afford to take my laptop into a techie person and either get it fixed or buy a new one and reload it with my data.

This morning I am not sure how I am going to do it. So I'm working it through as I type.

My first step was to get on the scales. 89.3 kg/197 lbs.

Initial goal is to weigh 79.3 kg/175 lbs.

Ultimate goal is to be somewhere around 65 kg/145 lbs.

That's quite a lot of weight to lose and will mean a major turn around. I have a choice

I can continue as I am doing and become less fit, more wobbly on my legs and age faster or I can bite this bullet and just 'Do It' regardless of how I feel. I am 76 years old and healthier than I deserve to be. I've got a lot of living in me yet. My mother was 10 years older when she made a major shift in her life. She sold the farm, had a new house built at the beach and laid out her last garden. I don't seem to have Mum's stamina or energy but she is my model. It is normal for the women in my family to live into their 90s. Mum was 96 when she died. This is a great incentive to me. I can spend the next twenty years growing weak and feeble or I can be pro-active and mitigate the natural ageing process.

I remember a little tract that went something like this Faith = Action = Feelings.

I believe in myself. I know I can do this... all I need to do is 'Do It'

That is the action bit and I can trust my feelings to catch up one day.

Today has begun as usual with a sweet coffee loaded with coconut oil and whipped cream followed by more cups of plain black coffee.

I will probably make something with a couple of eggs and silverbeet/swiss chard for brunch and we are have sausages for tea/dinner. I have a dessert in the evening of chia seed, plain greek yoghurt and more whipped cream and a few almonds. I have no idea how many calories I'm eating.

I will spend most of the day sewing. Some hand stitching but mostly machine sewing. I have a heap of cushion covers to put together and quilt. I want to finish them and feel free to embark on the next project.

The weather is not mild enough for me to do anything outside so it's time to begin on the Cross-trainer again. Talking to self ----- Just 'Do-It' Anne.

A note about me doing stuff outside. In February 2012 I developed Bells Palsy. I did not get the treatment I should have because the condition wasn't properly recognised and I had to go through a stressful period of eliminating a Stroke which took months!!!! Ridiculous as that sounds. Partly because of my age there has been no recovery of the facial nerve and I am left with a lopsided and twisted face. The left side of my face is paralysed from my eyebrows to my mouth and even my tongue. I've had some surgery to help close my left eye but it still does not completely close nor blink. This means that I have to be very careful when outside, especially in the wind or cold. This has quite a negative impact on my life. I am now trying for the second time to get plastic surgery to pull my face straight and hopefully it will also improve the closing of my eye, my speech and my smile.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

I never thought about how mean and straight up uglysome people really are until I readthispost. It never occurred to me that thousands of people, usually women, would make a home on the internet where they display the horrible sideof their character. I've put the link to Deb's post because telling the truth takes away the power of the evil game that is being played.For some reason talking about a healthy lifestyle and food, in particular, bring out the mockers andscoffers by the horde. We who work hard to improve our general well-being for our own benefit, whatever our reasons, tend to be very cautious. We want to protect ourselves from this very thing, the nastiness of mean and often vicious people. That's why we use the internet and our blogs. We saw this as comparatively safe place to interact with like mnded people and find support. We can remain fairly anonymous, protecting our families, enjoy writing with honesty and learn from one another.I have not been bothered very much by nasty comments My guess is that I have stayed under the radar because either I am too boring or too erratic in my posts. Now that I am informed about this stuff that goes on I am forewarned and will never tolerate rubbish comments. I will continue to Blog as I often as I want to on whatever subject I choose. Life is too precious to waste on foolish people.

Friday, March 6, 2015

I have been thinking about coming back to record my progress for some time. Non-progress would be more accurate except for the negative connotation. I haven't weighed for a few days so no idea but since I've been stable or fairly static for a long time I am not stressing out.

My resolution to get with my best weight loss program did not really work out although I haven't totally given up.

I began to long for something quick like a bread sandwich. Enter corn thins, a gluten free type of biscuit/cracker large enough to take a decent slice of cheese and spread. I also kept on drinking the cappuccino sachets by Nescafe. I wasn't trying to be perfect all at once and I found I was adding in a teaspoon of sugar. Love that sweet creamy taste!

I knew something was not working. First I began to feel stomach discomfit and blamed it on too much coffee. Probably true. Gradually I became more and more uncomfortable until I experienced some gut pain as well as increasing pain in my hands. The last straw was hay-fever. I Very Rarely get hay-fever and am not prone to sinus but this was weird. I related it to the cappuccinos and yet why were they affecting me now when there had been no sign previously.

This week I ran out of those corn thins. I cut back on coffee and even had a couple of days without the evil sachets. Today I am feeling so much better. It helped that I slept last night and had no frightening or distressing dreams.

I am allergic to something. The simplest solution is to not go there. I am far too lazy to go though an Autoimmune protocol and re-introduction to work this out. I can keep my food natural and simple.

I know the signs. Anything uncomfortable in my gut, itchy lips, sore,watering eyes and hay-fever, lethargy, brain fog, symptoms and I begin to crave my off-limit foods. The list goes on and becomes as depressing as I feet.

I tried to sew but somehow it was no longer interesting to me. In fact it became intensely frustrating as my eyesight is not all that good and my fingers were stiff. I couldn't concentrate. I blobbed out day after day reading trashy books and watching TV or playing stuff like soduko on my laptop. I am boring. So boring that I am bored stiff with myself. I was too bored and lethargic to tidy my clothes and do even the most basic housework. John takes over which just enables me to be more of a slob.

I keep wondering what happened to the woman who laughed, who was determined to achieve something and would not give up. What happened to my enthusiasm for life. Somehow all the stuff of the last 'how many years' seemed to have caught up with me and I was wiped out emotionally, mentally and physically.

It seemed like a good time to be kind to myself and just LET GO.

BIG MISTAKE

That was the opposite of being kind to myself. It was cruel. It was slow torture. It was as bad as putting the frog in cold water and slowly, ever so slowly heating it up.

Another lesson learned.

I cannot give up unless I want to be miserable and since I don't enjoy being miserable I cannot give up.

I'm not sure what comes next. I am trying to go with the flow because I do not want to inadvertently add extra stress. It's pretty plain to me that my body has become hypersensitive so changes need to be thought through and handled wisely.

Enough thinking for now.

I'm going to watch some old stuff on TV like Rawhide and Hawaii Five-O and get my sewing out again.

Monday, February 2, 2015

We are the grandparents of a two month old girl called Ava-Jane. We arrived at her home, ostensibly to help her Mum during the last couple of weeks of pregnancy but she beat us to it. We were able to hang around for 5 weeks as the new parents learned to live with a new-born. Mother and baby needed a little extra care at first as the mother had an emergency Caesarian Section. I'm so glad we were able to be there. It's not often possible for grandparents to participate in the moment by moment growth of their first grandchild.

Last year was extremely stress-filled. I know there was a lot going on but that doesn't go all the way to explaining my absence which ultimately meant my weight gain became semi-permanent. I remain about half-way through my weight loss program. I regained about 9kg or close to 20 lbs above my lowest weight from around September 2013

Nothing much has changed but I did learn a lot about sleep. I am not a good sleeper and often only get 3 hours good sleep. anything more than 6 hours is a really good night. That's not healthy so it's something I continue to focus on. Two things help. Not drinking coffee after mid-day, turning off computer before 8 pm and getting a respectable amount of exercise in. Al these things challenge me.

My food is generally consistent although I have not kept to my 'wheat free' status in spite of almost always experiencing some negatives in well-being when I do eat the stuff. I had a big wake up call a few weeks ago when I ate toast for breakfast and lunch. Later in the afternoon I developed severe stomach pain. The only time I've had anything worse was when I thoughtlessly took Nurofen, (Ibuprofen), to relieve a headache when I was fasting.

A few days ago I decided to make February 1st my Day of Resolution.

This is my 2nd day and so far so good. I even managed to shed 700 gm which is about 1.5 lbs so proving to myself I can still do this.

A frustrating complication has been computer problems. I am now using this very old Compaq to write on as my Toshiba keyboard does not work. It's a clumsy system as the best results come from writing here, saving and adding photos from my Toshiba. Editing is best done on the Compaq. I've been using the Toshiba for several years and it's been an exercise in patience, (read lots of bad words), getting my links and settings to work. I try to keep things simple but Google does not seem to allow that unless you give away all sense of privacy.

The one thing that I have changed is my relationship with Mum's house which is in a Family Trust and for sale. Last year a good sale fell through when the buyer discovered it had not had sign off from the building inspector when completed in 2000. We are still in the process of completing the required work to satisfy Council. Since I have all our retirement money tied up in this property we cannot move on to the next stage of our lives and I am stuck living in a village far from where I want to be.

Financial and relationship problems are difficult. I finally came to my senses and we are trying to live within our means ..... not easy when I often have a negative income after paying bills. We are living very simply. I have withdrawn myself from active interest in the beach house. I do only what is necessary and reply to related emails only to let people know I read them if they are important. I do not read emails from certain people after 5 pm as I discovered I was getting upset and worried about the content all night. I have also limited my contact with the people who cause me the most grief.

Life is too short to be upset by what other people think and do.

My health goals are fairly simple.

Good sleep pattern.
Regularly exercise
Eat well and lose weight.
Quilt at home and meet with the group regularly.
Smile
Laugh a lot once more.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

“With a Smear”. This is one of my favorite snacks, period. I take some hearts of celery and fill in the groove with some organic almond butter or peanut butter. This snack really travels well in tuperware, and makes a terrific pre-workout snack. Why? The celery has fiber and nutrients (including calcium and vitamin A) and a ridiculously low 6 calories per medium stalk. The nut butter has protein and fat. The overall calories are low and this really fills you up without slowing you down. Great for “slow-release” energy.

“The Double A”: An apple with almonds. The apple is the perfect food for a snack especially if coupled with some fat and or protein (i.e. string cheese). It’s sugar load is very moderate, it contains valuable pectin fiber which slows the entrance of that sugar into the bloodstream, and it’s a nutritional powerhouse containing vitamins and minerals and antioxidants. Try combining it with about a dozen almonds, which adds some fat and protein, further slows the entrance of the sugar into the bloodstream for sustained energy, and keeps hunger away.

“Whey to go”: Whey protein is my favorite kind of protein powder. Not only is it extremely high quality, bioavailable protein, but it supports the immune system by providing the body with the building blocks for glutathione, arguably the body’s most important antioxidant. And studies indicate that whey protein may boost weight-loss efforts. According to one French study, consuming whey before exercise supports fat burning and may help with gaining or maintaining lean body mass. I suggest a whey protein shake made with either water alone or with frozen berries. The berries add fiber, nutrients, some extra carbohydrates, and make for a more delicious drink.

“Berry Cheesy”: Here’s a little tidbit of info for you that you might enjoy: In my book, “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth” I asked 16 of the best known experts in the country to contribute their personal “top ten” list of favorite healthy foods. Berries- especially blueberries- made the list of more experts than any other food. Berries are loaded with phytonutrients, antioxidants and fiber, and are low in sugar. Mix a bowl of berries with a piece of string cheese for the perfect pre-workout snack. The string cheese has 8 grams of protein, some fat to keep hunger at bay, and only about 80 calories. Plus it’s an excellent source of calcium.

“TG/ Too Good”: The initials of this snack stand for turkey and grapes. It’s a perfectly matched trifecta of protein, carbs and low-calories to take the edge off your hunger. Four small slices of deli packaged turkey contain only 87 calories but give you more than 14 grams of protein, plus some of the cancer-fighting mineral selenium to boot. A cup of grapes adds some carbs to the mix together with all the health-giving phytochemicals grapes are known for. Suggestion: Go for fresh turkey whenever possible as the packaged kind is high in sodium and nitrates, and go for red or purple grapes as they have a higher antioxidant content.

By keeping blood sugar even, and insulin levels in the ideal “zone”, you’ll be turning your body from a fat storage machine into one that eats fat for breakfast.

"THE PAIN OF DISCPLINE OR THE PAIN OF REGRET AND DISAPPOINTMENT" - IT'S MY CHOICE

DISCIPLINE EQUALS FREEDOM

About Me

I am in my 78th year and live in New Zealand. In 2013 my husband, John, and I spent our 50th Wedding Anniversary in Hawaii. We have a major trip to North America planned for 2018
I have a long history of losing and gaining weight. I first began keeping an on-line journal around 2000 as a way to record my weight loss and quest for better health.
We moved to Christchurch in December 2015 to be near our only Grandchild. Ava -Jane is a wonderful gift to our family.
Life is full of the unexpected.
I am all about having some fun times this year.